WebNovels

Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: A Hungry Patriarch’s Tragedy

Got it. I'll strip out the flowery stuff and make it sound raw, like a human draft, plain English, no polished style. Here's your scene rewritten:

Bai Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, rubbing his eyes. Two weeks knocked out, another half day dealing with that damn system, and now finally he could move like normal. His white hair caught some light but what mattered more was his stomach growling.

"Forget cultivation. Forget politics. Forget this Heavenly Dao crap. I need food."

He stood up, stretched, and walked out. People were already whispering.

"Look, the Patriarch is awake."

"They say his son kept the clan together."

"Didn't the elders vanish?"

"Maybe it was heavenly punishment."

Bai Chen smirked. He let his golden eyes flash once, his Heavenly Vision. He caught all their thoughts like reading a book. Xuan Chen had done well while he was gone. Not bad for a kid.

"Good job, brat," he muttered. Then his stomach roared again. "Damn it. I need noodles."

The Market

The city was busy, stalls all over, people yelling prices, kids running around. The smell of roasted meat hit him hard. He walked, pretending to be calm, but really just hunting for food.

Some scholar types nearby were gossiping.

"They say the brothel has an auction."

"Not items, a debut. The daughter of Jade Beauty Fairy."

Bai Chen frowned. He went over to a beggar and asked straight.

"What's this about a brothel debut?"

The beggar looked at him with sharp eyes under his ragged shawl.

"You heard right. Jade Beauty Fairy died in childbirth. Her daughter was hidden away. Now tonight she debuts. A flower forced to bloom where her mother wilted."

Then the beggar stood up and walked off like smoke.

Bai Chen clicked his tongue. "Another girl sold off. Same cycle." He shook his head. "Whatever. Food first."

The Restaurant

He saw it—Madara Uchiha's Noodle House. His eyes lit up. He ran to it, drooling already.

But a wooden sign stopped him.

Closed. Will reopen after the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Bai Chen's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! You can't close now! My ramen! My dao! Infinite Tsukuyomi? What the hell excuse is that?!"

People walking by stared as he cursed at the door.

Then he spotted a boy yelling about vouchers. "Collaboration! Free food with the brothel auction!"

Bai Chen grabbed him. "Say that again."

The kid shoved a flyer at him. "Go to the Red Silk Pavilion. Free meals if you attend."

Bai Chen's eyes went wide. "Food and a show?!" He grinned, stuffing the voucher into his robe. "System, this is fate."

// Host is a glutton. //

"Shut up. We're going."

The Brothel

Night came. Lanterns hung, red silk waved, perfume and wine everywhere. The hall was full—nobles, cultivators, merchants. Bai Chen didn't care. He went straight to the food stalls.

But instead of Madara Uchiha's place, he saw Bai Clan Restaurant banners.

His face darkened. "Scammed again? That brat…"

He turned to leave, but a guard blocked him. "No leaving once you enter."

Bai Chen let out his aura. The man froze, ready to piss himself. Bai Chen was about to punch him when the guard dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, senior! Stay! Eat free food! Don't hurt me!"

Bai Chen snorted. "Fine. I'll forgive you. For food."

He walked to the stalls and stacked plates high—thirty-two plates of fried chicken, a jug of lemon juice, some cabbage. He sat and started eating like a starving wolf.

The crowd whispered.

"Isn't that the Chen Patriarch?"

"He's eating like a beggar."

"Thirty-two plates?! Is he insane?"

Bai Chen ignored them, chewing loud, grease dripping. "Crispy, juicy, perfect."

The Auction

On stage, the representative began. "First, debtors sold by contract."

Slaves were dragged out, men, women, and children. Bids rose fast. People laughed, cheered, waved paddles.

Bai Chen kept eating. "Humans selling humans. Filth. Demons get blamed, but mortals are worse."

The man brought out a middle-aged woman, still beautiful. "Sold by her own husband!" he shouted.

People gasped and started bidding. Then he ripped her robe, showing her body. The crowd roared louder.

Bai Chen's teeth clenched. The bone in his hand snapped.

The system chimed.

// Host is showing human emotions. Quest triggered: Buy all slaves. Become star of the auction. Reward: Infinite wealth. //

Bai Chen sighed. "So I can't hide my past life after all. Fine. Let's see the show."

Gold filled his ring instantly. He smirked.

The Bids

"Starting bid—ten silver!" the man yelled.

People shouted. "Twenty!" "Thirty!" "Fifty!"

Bai Chen slammed the bone on the table. "One thousand gold."

The hall went silent. The rep stuttered. "S-sold!"

And from then on, every slave was his. He bid without hesitation, crushing all others. The stage filled with freed slaves, the audience too scared to compete.

Whispers spread.

"Who is he?"

"Where did he get that gold?"

"He's not crippled at all…"

By the end, he bought them all.

The Statement

Bai Chen stood, walking to the stage. His hair caught the lantern light, his eyes cold.

"You call yourselves nobles. But you laugh when children are chained. You cheer when a woman is stripped. You're worse than beasts."

He poured a wave of gold coins onto the stage.

"These people are mine now. Not as toys. Not as slaves. As people freed from your filth."

The system chimed.

// Quest complete. Title gained: Auction Star. //

The hall was silent. No one spoke.

Bai Chen turned back to his table. "Now bring me more chicken please said with gentle look...

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